Chapter 84 – The Man Who Erased the Beginning
"...You finally remembered."
The young man's words were almost a whisper.
But everyone heard them.
Evetyl stood completely still.
The message from the black stone had disappeared, yet its words remained in her mind.
He is not the one who remembers the beginning.
He is the one who erased it.
Kai slowly stepped in front of Evetyl.
"Who are you?"
The young man looked at him.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he sighed.
"My name was never important."
Cr-Hook immediately raised an eyebrow.
"That usually means someone's name is extremely important."
The First Anomaly nodded.
"He's right."
"Thank you."
"Don't get comfortable."
Cr-Hook's expression fell.
The tension in the valley was so heavy that even their small exchange barely changed it.
Above them, the golden eye of the King of Oblivion remained fixed on the young man.
The King spoke.
"You should not have returned."
The young man looked upward.
"And yet..."
He smiled.
"Here I am."
The King answered with silence.
Evetyl noticed something strange.
The King wasn't attacking.
It was waiting.
Almost as if it wanted to see what happened next.
She looked at the young man.
"Did you bring us here?"
"Yes."
"Did you know the First World was going to return?"
"Yes."
"Did you know Crosshaven would disappear?"
"Yes."
Evetyl's expression hardened.
"Then you knew everyone would be put in danger."
"I knew."
Kai stepped forward.
"And you still did it."
The young man looked at him.
"Yes."
Kai clenched his fists.
"Why?"
The young man looked toward the valley.
"Because there was no other way."
Evetyl shook her head.
"That's what everyone says when they make a terrible choice."
The young man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're becoming more like your original self."
"Maybe that's not a bad thing."
"No."
He looked directly at her.
"It isn't."
The First Thought suddenly stepped forward.
"I have a question."
The young man nodded.
"Ask."
"Why can't I find you in any record?"
"Because you are looking for a person."
The First Thought frowned.
"What else would I find?"
"A decision."
The First Thought became silent.
The young man continued.
"I was not born."
"I was chosen."
"By whom?"
The young man looked at Evetyl.
"Her."
Evetyl's eyes widened.
"Me?"
"The original Evetyl."
"Then who were you?"
He smiled faintly.
"The first person she trusted."
The Forgotten One suddenly trembled.
"No..."
Everyone looked at it.
The Forgotten One stared at the young man.
"I remember."
The young man's expression became serious.
"What?"
"You were there."
"Yes."
"You stood beside her."
"Yes."
"You watched the first world disappear."
"Yes."
The Forgotten One's voice became shaky.
"And you..."
It pointed at him.
"...closed the door."
The young man didn't deny it.
"I did."
Evetyl felt something inside her chest tighten.
"What door?"
The young man looked toward the mountains.
"The door between creation and memory."
The Curator stepped forward.
"I know that concept."
Everyone looked at him.
The Curator continued.
"It was mentioned in records older than Crosshaven."
"Very few records survived."
"Most were destroyed."
The young man nodded.
"I destroyed them."
The Curator stared.
"Why?"
"Because people kept trying to open the door."
"And what happens if it opens?"
The young man looked toward the sky.
"The First World doesn't stay the First World."
"It begins creating again."
The First Thought slowly understood.
"A second beginning."
"Yes."
"Then another."
"Yes."
"And another."
"Until..."
The young man finished:
"...there is no longer a single history."
Evetyl looked around.
"So that's what happened."
The young man nodded.
"The first world created the second."
"The second created the third."
"Eventually there were thousands."
"Then millions."
"Eventually..."
He looked toward the horizon.
"...there were more worlds than memories could hold."
The Eye spoke quietly.
"That's when the timelines began splitting."
"Yes."
"The first anomalies appeared."
"Yes."
"The Outer Kings emerged."
"Yes."
"The Forgotten One..."
"Yes."
The Eye became silent.
Evetyl looked toward the Forgotten One.
"Then all of this..."
"...started with the First World."
The young man shook his head.
"No."
She frowned.
"It started before the First World."
Evetyl remembered the empty darkness from her vision.
Nothing.
No time.
No space.
Then the thought.
What if something existed?
Her eyes widened.
"The thought."
The First Thought immediately looked at her.
"The First Thought."
The young man nodded.
"Exactly."
Everyone turned toward the First Thought.
It looked genuinely confused.
"Me?"
The young man smiled.
"You were the first question."
The First Thought's expression changed.
"Then..."
It looked at the young man.
"...what was the answer?"
The young man looked at Evetyl.
"She was."
The valley became silent.
Evetyl stared at him.
"I was the answer to the first question?"
"Yes."
"What question?"
The young man answered:
"Can something exist if nothing remembers it?"
Evetyl felt a strange pressure in her mind.
The answer had always been simple.
No.
If nothing remembered something...
It could disappear completely.
The First Memory existed to prevent that.
But the King of Oblivion existed to prevent the opposite.
If everything was remembered forever...
Nothing could truly end.
The two forces were never enemies by nature.
They were opposites created for balance.
Evetyl looked toward the golden eye.
"So the King isn't evil."
The young man shook his head.
"No."
The King spoke.
"I was created by you."
Evetyl looked up.
"I know."
"You feared memory."
"Yes."
"You feared that nothing would ever end."
"Yes."
"So you created me."
The King paused.
"Then you abandoned me."
Evetyl lowered her eyes.
"I didn't know."
"You forgot."
The words hurt more than she expected.
The King continued.
"You gave me a purpose."
"Then you erased the memory of giving it."
"I became Oblivion."
"Because you wanted something capable of ending what memory could not."
Evetyl looked at her hands.
"I'm sorry."
The King remained silent.
For a moment, it felt like the entire world was waiting for its answer.
Then it said:
"I do not require an apology."
"What do you require?"
"Balance."
A powerful wind swept across the valley.
The young man stepped forward.
"That's why I brought everyone here."
Kai looked at him.
"To restore the balance?"
"Yes."
"Then why hide the truth?"
"Because you would have tried to stop me."
Kai's expression became serious.
"You were right."
The young man looked surprised.
Kai continued.
"I would have."
"Why?"
"Because you made the choice for everyone."
The young man didn't answer.
Kai stepped closer.
"That's the problem with all of you."
"The Curator decided what should survive."
"The King decided what should disappear."
"The First Keepers decided what should be remembered."
"And you decided what everyone should know."
Kai looked toward Evetyl.
"Nobody asked us."
The young man stared at him.
Then...
He smiled.
"That's why she chose you."
Kai frowned.
"Chose me for what?"
The young man didn't answer.
Instead, he reached into his coat again.
He pulled out another object.
A small silver ring.
Evetyl recognized it immediately.
She had seen it in one of her memories.
It had belonged to her.
She stepped forward.
"Where did you get that?"
The young man held it out.
"You gave it to me."
"When?"
"Before the First World ended."
Evetyl took it.
The moment her fingers touched it—
Everything disappeared.
She was standing in darkness.
The same darkness from before creation.
But this time...
She wasn't alone.
A younger version of herself stood beside her.
The young man was there too.
And someone else.
Kai.
But not the Kai she knew.
He looked younger.
Much younger.
He was standing beside the original Evetyl.
She heard her own voice.
"There is no way to save everything."
Kai answered:
"Then don't save everything."
The original Evetyl looked at him.
"What should I save?"
Kai smiled.
"The choice."
The memory shifted.
The First World appeared.
Beautiful.
Peaceful.
Alive.
Then it began collapsing.
The original Evetyl screamed.
The young man grabbed her.
"Don't!"
"Let me go!"
"If you go back, you'll destroy everything."
"I can fix it!"
"No."
"I can!"
"You already tried!"
Evetyl stopped.
The young man looked at her.
"That's why I erased the beginning."
The original Evetyl stared at him.
"You promised."
"I know."
"You promised you'd never erase anything."
"I know."
"Then why?"
His expression broke.
"Because you asked me to."
She froze.
"You..."
"...asked me?"
He nodded.
"You told me that if you ever tried to save the First World again..."
"...I had to stop you."
The original Evetyl began crying.
"And if I forget?"
The young man took her hand.
"Then I'll remind you."
She shook her head.
"No."
"What?"
"If I forget..."
She placed the silver ring in his hand.
"...don't remind me."
He stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because if I remember..."
She looked toward the collapsing world.
"...I'll choose them again."
The young man understood.
"You'll sacrifice yourself."
She smiled.
"I always do."
Then she touched his forehead.
"And that's why I need someone who can make me stop."
The memory shattered.
Evetyl opened her eyes.
She was back on the hill.
The silver ring was still in her hand.
Tears were running down her face.
Kai stood beside her.
"What did you see?"
Evetyl looked at him.
"I remember."
"What?"
"The reason he erased the beginning."
Kai looked toward the young man.
Evetyl continued.
"I asked him to."
Kai stared.
The young man nodded.
"She did."
The First Thing slowly approached.
"But why?"
Evetyl looked toward the First World.
"Because I couldn't stop myself."
The young man said quietly,
"You kept trying to save every possible future."
"And every time..."
"...you made things worse."
Evetyl looked down.
"So you erased the First World from history."
"Yes."
"And then?"
"I erased myself from your memory."
"Why?"
"Because you would have searched for me."
Evetyl looked at him.
"I did."
"I know."
"And Kai?"
The young man's expression changed.
"Kai was different."
"How?"
"He remembered you without remembering the First World."
Kai looked confused.
"How?"
The young man smiled.
"Because your promise was stronger than the erasure."
Kai looked at Evetyl.
"I told you I'd find you."
She nodded.
"You did."
The King of Oblivion suddenly spoke.
"The balance is still incomplete."
Everyone looked up.
Evetyl asked,
"What's missing?"
The King looked directly at Kai.
"The Second Memory."
Kai's expression tightened.
"What do you want me to do?"
"You must choose."
"Choose what?"
"Whether to remember."
Kai looked at Evetyl.
"Everything?"
"Everything."
The King nodded.
"If you remember all of her..."
"...you will also remember all the worlds she has forgotten."
Kai went silent.
Evetyl immediately shook her head.
"No."
Kai looked at her.
"Evetyl—"
"No."
She stepped closer.
"You don't have to carry my memories."
Kai smiled.
"You carried mine."
"That's different."
"How?"
"Because..."
She hesitated.
"...I don't want you to suffer."
Kai looked at her for a long moment.
Then he gently smiled.
"I already promised."
Evetyl's eyes filled with tears.
"You don't know what you're agreeing to."
"Maybe."
Kai took her hand.
"But neither did you."
The young man watched them silently.
Then he looked toward the King.
"Now you understand."
The King opened its enormous eye.
"Yes."
The sky began changing.
The First World faded.
Crosshaven slowly appeared in the distance.
The city was returning.
But something was wrong.
Its buildings were different.
Its streets were unfamiliar.
People Evetyl had never seen walked through the streets.
The Curator stared.
"That's not our Crosshaven."
The First Thought opened its book.
"The history is rewriting itself."
The Eye looked toward the horizon.
"Which history?"
The First Thought's expression became terrified.
"All of them."
Thousands of versions of Crosshaven began appearing at once.
One was peaceful.
Another was burning.
One was abandoned.
Another was filled with millions of people.
In one version, the Curator ruled the city.
In another, the Warden did.
In another...
Evetyl saw herself standing alone.
Kai wasn't there.
She turned away.
Another Crosshaven appeared.
Kai was there.
But Evetyl was missing.
Another.
The two of them were together.
But everyone else was gone.
Another.
The city had never existed.
Evetyl grabbed Kai's hand.
"Which one is real?"
The young man answered:
"None."
The Curator looked at him.
"Then what are we seeing?"
"The possibilities."
"Why are they appearing now?"
The young man looked toward Kai.
"Because the Second Memory has awakened."
Kai felt something change inside him.
He looked down.
A faint silver mark had appeared on his hand.
Evetyl's mark.
The First Promise.
Kai stared at it.
"I can hear them."
Evetyl looked at him.
"Hear what?"
Kai looked toward the thousands of Crosshavens.
"Everyone."
"Every version."
"Every memory."
His voice trembled.
"They're all asking me to remember them."
Evetyl stepped closer.
"Kai."
He looked at her.
"I don't know if I can do this."
Evetyl took his hand.
"Then don't."
Kai stared.
"But—"
"You don't have to remember everyone."
She smiled gently.
"Just remember me."
The silver mark began glowing.
The countless Crosshavens slowly disappeared.
One by one.
Until only one remained.
The real Crosshaven.
The city between worlds.
The Curator looked toward it.
"It's back."
The Warden's chains returned to its hands.
The Eye floated silently.
The First Thought closed its book.
For the first time in a long while...
Everything seemed stable.
Then the young man looked toward Evetyl.
His expression had changed.
"There's one problem."
Evetyl sighed.
"Of course there is."
He pointed toward the distant city.
"Crosshaven returned."
"But something returned with it."
The city gates slowly opened.
A figure walked through.
Everyone froze.
It was a man.
Old.
Wounded.
Wearing a broken crown.
The former Outer King stared at him.
His face went pale.
"No..."
The Forgotten One whispered,
"I remember him."
The Curator looked confused.
"Who is he?"
The former Outer King slowly stepped backward.
"He was supposed to be dead."
The crowned man stopped.
Then looked directly at Evetyl.
He smiled.
"I've been waiting for you."
Evetyl felt a terrible sense of familiarity.
She whispered,
"Who are you?"
The man lifted his broken crown.
"I was the first person you ever failed to save."
Then he looked at the young man.
"And you..."
His smile disappeared.
"...were the one who killed me."
The young man's face became completely expressionless.
Kai looked between them.
"What is going on?"
The crowned man answered.
"Ask him."
He pointed toward the young man.
"Ask him why he erased the First World."
"Ask him why he erased me."
"Ask him..."
His eyes turned toward Evetyl.
"...why he made you forget that I was your brother."
Evetyl froze.
The silver ring slipped from her fingers.
It hit the ground.
Clink.
And somewhere inside her mind...
A locked memory opened.
A little boy was holding her hand.
She was laughing.
He was laughing too.
Then the world burned.
And Evetyl heard herself scream his name.
A name she had forgotten for thousands of years.
"Aren..."
The young man's expression changed.
For the first time...
He looked afraid.
To Be Continued...